When a Stranger Calls
by Edwardian-Rosebud
Summary: Based on the film. Bella is babysitting for her cousin's children when she recieves chlling phone calls, who is the person, and how does he know exactly what she's doing? Will Bella and the children make it out of the house alive? M for violence. AH R


**This was based off of the film, 'When a Stranger Calls.' If you've seen the film, this might make more sense, but you don't have to watch it to understand this. **

**I hope you like this, it's rated M because of swearing and violence. If you are easily scared, don't read. If you don't like the idea of someone getting hurt, don't read. **

**Minor character death in the story, also, this is a whole story just put into a one shot. **

**Disclaimer – I don't own the characters and I don't own the original plot, but I do own the slightly changed version of this one. **

"Rose, we'll be perfectly fine... you have _got_ to stop worrying!" I tried to calm my cousin, also one of my best friends. Rose was my mom's sister's daughter, and we grew up together so we became extremely close. Also, there are only a few months between us, so we were in the same year at school, the same classes even. To our parents, this was amazing. We were always at each other's house, so it just gave them a chance to catch up and get drunk, countless times would Rose and I come home to either house to find the two giggling and gossiping uncontrollably on the couch.

We were 17 when Rose met Emmett. He was tall, curly haired and blue eyed, the kind of man she'd swoon about when we gossiped at slumber parties, and he was totally smitten with her. Well, half of the Seattle population was smitten with her, she was stunning. Waist length wavy blonde hair and big wide blue eyes, framed with long black lashes. I was always jealous of her growing up, it was impossible not to be.

They were instantly in love, after a few months together they were inseparable and I began to feel replaced. I tried talking to my mom, but she told me to grow up and find someone of my own if I was so bothered, so that's exactly what I did. I'd go out and get drunk on Friday nights and have meaningless sex, just to try and find someone who would love me as much as Emmett loves Rose. Eventually, my mom got sick of my adolescent rebelling, and she introduced me to her friend's daughter – Alice. Alice was short, and she had spiky black hair and vibrant green eyes. That wasn't what drew me to her though, she was impossible not to like.

We would hang out at every opportunity, and then her brother came home for the summer and he was hang me on a washing line, hit me with a towel fuck-hot.

I started inwardly beating myself, I'd thought I had to get drunk and act like a slut to find someone who appreciated me, but I didn't. I was just waiting for Edward, and he did love me, the same, if not more than Em loved Rose.

Rosalie realised she had ditched me, and began apologising profusely, of course I wouldn't hear it. I now understood the pull that love could force on to you.

I introduced Alice and Rosalie and viola, Alice joined the crew.

When we turned 18, Rose fell pregnant. It was a huge shock for everybody – especially Rose's parents who were adamant she marries before they have kids. They were so mad with her that she ran away, she came to mine and she lived in my room for 2 weeks before my aunt and uncle showed up, begging her to come home. She agreed, and they had Emmett over – I don't really know what happened there, but Emmett was welcomed into the family like nothing had happened.

They were married not long after, a beautiful little ceremony in front of her house, only close friends and family; it was a truly amazing ceremony. When they arrived back from their honeymoon, Rosalie revealed she was expecting twins and sure enough, 6 months later, Marie and Ethan entered the world – two healthy little babies.

They were as cute as ever now, 5 years later.

"I know Bells, but they're ill and I don't want them giving you any trouble." I rolled my eyes at her, she's such a worrier.

"Rosalie, I've babysat them numerous times before, it's fine. Stop worrying." I placed my hand on her shoulders and shook her gently.

She took a deep calming breath. "Okay, calm." She smiled widely, "Thank you so much for doing this, this dinner has been planned for weeks."

"I know, Rosalie." I chuckled, removing my hands from her shoulder and placing them in my pockets.

"So... you've got my mobile, um we'll only be an hour and a half away so if you need anything..."

"Rose, Marie and Ethan are my own flesh and blood, they won't need anything." I assured her gently.

Rose lived just outside of Forks, in a big house that she shared with Emmett.

The house had 2 floors, one the bottom there was a large living room, a bathroom, a kitchen, a piano room and a play room. On the second floor there were 3 bedrooms, another bathroom and another play room.

"Rose, come on we've got to go!" Emmett called from the hall. We both walked out, leaving the children on the sofa after Rose had said goodbye, and met him.

"See you later, Bella!" Rose kissed me on the cheek and Emmett gave me a hug before they walked down the drive to their car. Marie came up beside me and waved to them as I stroked her hair until they were out of sight.

"Okay! Who's hungry?" I asked, closing and locking the door.

o.o.o.o.o

After a meal of spaghetti hoops and toast, the kids were full and ready for bed so I led them upstairs and into the room that they shared together. It had a double bed, and they preferred to be together when their parents weren't at home. I tucked them both in and then sat on the edge of it.

"Who wants a story?" I asked.

"Can you pwease wead us Gween Eggs and Ham, Aunt Bella?" Marie asked, tucking her chin into her chest.

"Sure thing." I chuckled, walking over to get it from the shelf and then situating myself back on the bed.

"_I am Sam_

I am Sam  
Sam I am  
That Sam-I-am  
That Sam-I-am!  
I do not like, that Sam-I-am  
Do you like  
_green eggs and ham__  
I do not like them,  
Sam-I-am.  
I do not like  
green eggs and ham._

Would you like them  
Here or there?

I would not like them  
here or there.  
I would not like them  
anywhere.  
I do not like  
green eggs and ham.  
I do not like them,  
Sam-I-am

Would you like them  
in a house?  
Would you like them  
with a mouse?

I do not like them  
in a house.  
I do not like them  
with a mouse.  
I do not like them  
here or there.  
I do not like them  
anywhere.  
I do not like green eggs and ham.  
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Would you eat them  
in a box?  
Would you eat them  
with a fox?

Not in a box.  
Not with a fox.  
Not in a house.  
Not with a mouse.  
I would not eat them here or there.  
I would not eat them anywhere.  
I would not eat green eggs and ham.  
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Would you? Could you?  
in a car?  
Eat them! Eat them!  
Here they are.

I would not ,  
could not,  
in a car

You may like them.  
You will see.  
You may like them  
in a tree?  
Not in a tree.  
I would not, could not in a tree.  
Not in a car! You let me be.

I do not like them in a box.  
I do not like them with a fox  
I do not like them in a house  
I do mot like them with a mouse  
I do not like them here or there.  
I do not like them anywhere.  
I do not like green eggs and ham.  
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

A train! A train!  
A train! A train!  
Could you, would you  
on a train?

Not on a train! Not in a tree!  
Not in a car! Sam! Let me be!  
I would not, could not, in a box.  
I could not, would not, with a fox.  
I will not eat them with a mouse  
I will not eat them in a house.  
I will not eat them here or there.  
I will not eat them anywhere.  
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Say!  
In the dark?  
Here in the dark!  
Would you, could you, in the dark?

I would not, could not,  
in the dark.

Would you, could you,  
in the rain?

I would not, could not, in the rain.  
Not in the dark. Not on a train,  
Not in a car, Not in a tree.  
I do not like them, Sam, you see.  
Not in a house. Not in a box.  
Not with a mouse. Not with a fox.  
I will not eat them here or there.  
I do not like them anywhere!

You do not like  
green eggs and ham?

I do not  
like them,  
Sam-I-am.

Could you, would you,  
with a goat?

I would not,  
could not.  
with a goat!

Would you, could you,  
on a boat?

I could not, would not, on a boat.  
I will not, will not, with a goat.  
I will not eat them in the rain.  
I will not eat them on a train.  
Not in the dark! Not in a tree!  
Not in a car! You let me be!  
I do not like them in a box.  
I do not like them with a fox.  
I will not eat them in a house.  
I do not like them with a mouse.  
I do not like them here or there.  
I do not like them ANYWHERE!

I do not like  
green eggs  
and ham!

I do not like them,  
Sam-I-am.

You do not like them.  
SO you say.  
Try them! Try them!  
And you may.  
Try them and you may I say.

Sam!  
If you will let me be,  
I will try them.  
You will see.

Say!  
I like green eggs and ham!  
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!  
And I would eat them in a boat!  
And I would eat them with a goat...  
And I will eat them in the rain.  
And in the dark. And on a train.  
And in a car. And in a tree.  
They are so good so good you see!

So I will eat them in a box.  
And I will eat them with a fox.  
And I will eat them in a house.  
And I will eat them with a mouse.  
And I will eat them here and there.  
Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!

I do so like  
green eggs and ham!  
Thank you!  
Thank you,  
Sam-I-am." Marie clapped excitedly, and Ethan giggled and shrieked once I'd finished, chorusing the last line along with me. For just 5 years of age, they were extremely intellectual.

"Okay, kisses and cuddles. Who wants to say goodnight to mommy and daddy?" I whipped out my cell as they said yes and scrolled down until I found Rose's number. She picked up on the second ring.

"What? Bella what's wrong?" She asked frantically.

"Nothing, calm down. The kids just wanted to say night." I chuckled as she took a calming breath.

"Okay then, put them on." I shook my head and pressed the speaker phone button and held it up, giving a thumbs up to let the children know to start talking.

"Mommy!" The chorused.

"Hey babies, are you being good for auntie Bella?" She asked.

"Yep, she wead Gween Eggs and Ham and, and, and it was funny!" Ethan giggled.

"Okay honey, well I have to go now so you two be good and I'll see you tomorrow. I love you." She crooned.

"Love you too, mommy!" The twins said before the line cut off, I pressed the end call button and tucking them in tighter.

"Night kids." I whispered.

"Night Auntie Bella." I walked to the door and switched out the light, closing the door softly behind me.

With a huge sigh, I walked downstairs and plopped onto the sofa, picking up Wuthering Heights and tucking my feet under my legs and draping the throw over me as I read. I wasn't far in when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

**Hey, babe. I'm really sorry I'm not there with you to help look after the kids, are you okay? I love you, I miss you.**

**-E**

I smiled, hitting reply.

**Hello, Edward you know that they're not gonna be any trouble. They're asleep anyway. I love you, I miss you.**

**-B**

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bag of chips, before throwing myself back onto sofa and switching on the television, putting on a re-run of Scrubs. My phone vibrated under me and I giggled as it vibrated my stomach.

**I know, but I hate to think of you all alone in that big house. I love you, I miss you.**

**-E**

I rolled my eyes; he's always been so protective of me.

**I'm sure that I'll be fine. If anything happens, I promise I'll text you, now get back to work! I love you, I miss you.**

**-B**

I sighed and closed my eyes, sinking further into the couch and eating my bag of chips. I frowned when the phone rang, throwing my chips on the coffee table and going over to pick it up.

"Hello?" I answered, but all I could hear on the line was heavy breathing.

"Is anyone there?" I asked stupidly, but it was answered with dead line. I frowned in confusion, carrying the wireless phone to the couch and throwing it next to me; picking up the chips, I looked around the room aimlessly, hoping for something to catch my eye.

I heard a bang upstairs and I rolled my eyes, the kids usually woke up and went in to the toilet and made a lot of noise to annoy the other.

My head lolled against the back of the couch and I closed my eyes, resting them. My eyes snapped open and I picked up my landline phone and called Alice's number.

"Hey, this is Alice and Jasper's phone. We're not in right now, but please leave a message and we'll call you later."

I sighed in frustration and threw the phone back on the couch; of course Alice would be out. She's always out these days with her long time boyfriend Jasper.

The phone rang again, and I dug it out from between the couch cushions.

"Hello?" And again, nothing but heavy breathing on the other line; I gritted my teeth and hung up. Damn prank callers.

I lay down on my side and pulled the throw over me, closing my eyes and succumbing to my dreams.

The shrill ring of the phone woke me up and I reached for it blindly pressing it to my ear.

"Hello?" I answered groggily.

"Have you checked the children?" A muffled masculine voice whispered, and it made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

"What? Who's this?" I asked hurriedly, but I was met with another dead line.

I took a shaky breath and pressed the end call button, and looked up towards the staircase. I stared at it for a few seconds, trying to regulate my breathing.

I grabbed a fire poker from the metal stand by the fireplace, gripping it tightly in my hand before slowly making my way up the stairs, constantly looking around me.

I paused outside the kids' room, pressing my ear to the door to hear anything, but it was deadly quiet. I took a slow, deep breath and turned the door knob, pushing it open and creeping my head round the corner, to see both children sound asleep facing each other and I took relieving sigh, closing the door and walking back down the stairs, willing my heart beat to return to its normal speed.

I froze as the phone rang again and I hesitated, before picking it up and holding it to my ear.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"How were the children?" The same voice from before whispered. I vaguely recall dropping the phone and hearing it thud against the floor.

Someone saw me go up the stairs, and someone knew that I'd arrived back down again.

_Someone was here._

Unless… unless they were outside? I looked towards the big windows, before running up and pulling the drapes shut and then running back to the sofa and picking the phone up where I'd dropped it and called 911.

"911, what is your emergency?" The operator answered.

"Um, well a man keeps calling me, and he's watching me he knows what I'm doing!"

"I'm sorry miss what is your location?" I quickly gave her my address and waited as she passed me onto an officer once I told her it wasn't an emergency.

"Hello?" A man spoke.

"Hi, I'm babysitting for my niece and nephew, and I just got a call asking me if I'd checked the children." I told him.

"Did you know this person, ma'am?"

"No it was an unknown number, but the guy knows what I'm doing, I went to check on them and he called me again asking me how they were." I wailed.

"Are you there on your own miss, or is there someone who could come and sit with you?" The man asked.

"No, not really." I sighed.

"Well listen, are all the doors locked?" He asked.

"Yes they are." I nodded, stupidly. He couldn't see me.

"It sounds like you're perfectly safe as long as you stay inside, ma'am. There are a lot of weirdo's out there who like to mess with people, close the drapes and next time the guy rings, try to keep him on the line for a minute and we'll trace the number okay?"

"Yes, okay. Thank you Officer."

"May I ask your name, Miss?"

"Yes, it's Bella."

"Okay then, Bella. I'm Officer Yorkie and if you need anything at all just call back and ask for me okay?" He told me, gently.

"Yes, okay then. Thank you." I smiled, hanging up the phone. I sat in the corner of the room in the rocking chair and threw the throw over me, opening Wuthering Heights again. I had just got to my favorite part when the phone rang again. I held my breath as I stared at it, but then I remembered that the sooner I answered and the longer I talked to him, the faster it could all be over. I checked the time on my watch.

"Hello?" I answered – nothing, only heavy breathing.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Why are you doing this to me, huh?" Still no answer.

"What is-" But I was cut off, the dead line sound rang through my ear, and I shuddered and looked at my watch. It had only been 45 seconds.

"Damn it." I whispered to myself.

I looked around carefully for a moment, before opening my book where I was before and started to read again. I was closer to the end than I originally realized, and I my stomach growling made me jump as I finished it. I looked around carefully, pretty sure that there was no one here, just the children and I and made my way to the kitchen, stealing an apple from the bowl on the dining table.

The newspaper lay opened on the table, so I pulled a chair out and sat down to read it from the start but a headline caught my eye.

**PRANK CALL KILLER STRIKES AGAIN.**

**The identity of the slayer of Angela Weber is still unknown; however another killing has happened under similar circumstances on Thursday evening. Police were called to the scene, but the culprit had fled long before the police arrived.  
It is unknown as to the whereabouts of this sick killer, but we do know that the intentions of his are unrealistic. He doesn't attack children; he attacks the young women who watch them.  
Angela Weber was watching her younger siblings when she received a number of calls from a unknown source, and her parents arrived home later that night to find her strangled to death in the living room, and the children tucked away in a closet. **

**It is believed that the front door was left unlocked, and that is how the murderer got in unnoticed, but it is left open as to whether or not the source is reliable. One thing we do know, is that something hideous is stalking young women. **

The paper slipped from my grip as the phone rang again and I gulped, walking over to answer it slowly, my heart thudding loudly against my chest.

"Hello?" I whispered into the phone.

"Bella?" A familiar voice sounded.

"Edward, it's you." I sighed with relief.

"Yes, it's me… who were you expecting?" He asked me, confused.

"Nobody, how are you?" I asked, trying to avoid the situation although my mind couldn't help but wander to the newspaper article. Angela Weber, the name was vaguely familiar to me… but I couldn't quite place why I should know it. Would I be his next victim? No, I didn't know that it was him… just a guy messing with my head is all.

"I'm fine thanks, I'm so tired, baby. I'm so so sorry I had to work tonight, but my shift is over in about a half hour and then I'll come and join you over there, okay? I'll be there in about an hour." I grinned widely at the thought of Edward joining me.

"That sounds really great, but Edward it's 11o 'clock, and it'll be midnight by the time you get here – just go straight home. You need your sleep." I told him, gently.

"Like I could fall asleep without you next to me, listen I have to go but I'll see you soon I promise."

"Okay, I love you," I smiled into the phone.

"I love you too, babe." I hung up and threw the phone onto the couch and started thinking about the newspaper article I'd left open on the table. Is that why Rose was so resilient to leave me earlier? Had she been reading that before I got here? My hands shook as I pushed the hair from my face and hugged my knees to my chest. Well, even if it was that person, at least he wouldn't hurt the kids, right?

My eyes jumped to the phone as it started to ring again and I went to reach for it, pressing the answer button and holding it to my ear and checking the time on my watch.

"Hello?" I whimpered.

"Hello." It was the voice from before, the deep one that told me to check on the children. The one that had been calling me all night, I tried to stall time.

"How did you get this number?" I asked slowly.

No answer; I sighed.

"What do you want from me? Why can't you just leave me alone?" I cried.

Still no answer, just the sound of the man breathing heavily.

"This isn't funny, just please stop calling me." I pleaded.

I sighed as I heard the dead line tone, and I looked hopefully to my watch. 1 minute and 7 seconds, _yes!_ I thought to myself.

Hopefully, Officer Yorkie will be keeping tracks on that, but then my eyes widened in horror. Had my phone call with Edward lasted more than a minute? No… it couldn't have because he had to leave. It couldn't have been more than 30 seconds, surely?

Fuck, I thought. I desperately wanted to check the phone to see how long it did last, but there was no way I could… not only that but I had no idea how to work this phone.

I just took a deep breath and willed my hands to stop shaking.

There was no-one here.

The children were upstairs sleeping, safe.

There's no reason to panic.

The phone rang again, and I winced, picking it up again and holding it to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked carefully.

"Hello." Came the dark voice, I groaned in frustration and pressed end call, throwing it down. But I rang again, and I pressed it to my ear.

"Stop it! Stop calling me you sick freak!" I shouted.

"Bella! Bella, this is Officer Yorkie, we traced the call and it's coming from inside the house… you hear me? Inside the house you have to get yourself out!" The officer shouted from down the phone, and I dropped it.

And then the lights went out.

I whimpered as the lights went out, and I grabbed the fire poker and gripped it tightly, hoping the officers had enough sense to come over here when the power went off. I gave them the address earlier, didn't I?

I took a deep breath through my nose, and held the metal stick above my right shoulder and found a torch in a drawer in the living room and quietly crept up the stairs to the children's room. I paused again outside the room, and then I opened it quietly.

There were two defined lumps on the bed, so I walked over quickly and pulled back the sheet to find two pillows arranged to look like children.

My eyes widened and I gasped loudly… the children were missing, the power was out, and there was someone in my best friend's house that wanted to kill me.

I looked around the room, trying to see through the small amount of light coming from outside the window and noticed the little playroom attached to the bedroom was open. I walked into there slowly, checking behind me constantly until I arrived in there. I opened the door until it slammed into the wall so I could be sure that there was nobody hiding behind it, and then looked around the room. The light turned back on as I entered and it made me jump and I gasped, blinking to get used to the brightness.

The room was full of cuddly toys and a table, and then a toy box in the middle of the room. My breath caught in my throat as I walked towards it, clutching my weapon even tighter in my hand. I looked around once more before I opened the lid, and then sighed in relief, for hiding in there were the two children.

"Oh God," I whispered, frantically checking them as them as they climbed out. I saw no obvious injury and I hugged them to me tightly.

Music started playing from the children's room and I froze, looking towards the door. Someone was in there, and they were playing the audio to Green Eggs and Ham… had they been in there as I tucked them in earlier? I shielded the children behind me before shuffling towards the door frame and looking around. I was confused… in my line of vision the room was bare.

That was until I looked up, and there was a man sitting on the beams of the ceiling. A dark figure holding a cell phone, the man that had been haunting me since I got here, and he'd been in this room the whole time. I started to walk backwards into the playroom and slammed the door shut just as he jumped from the ceiling, dropping the cell onto the floor.

There was no lock on the door, however there was a hair dryer plugged in. I tied it around the handle and then around a handle on the wall next to it and it acted as a type of makeshift chain. The man opened the door but was constricted, and he banged on it repeatedly. The children screamed in fear, and I looked towards the windows. I smashed one of the lower ones, and looked through it… it was a small drop and it would land us right in the downstairs bathroom.

"Okay," I whispered. "Climb through that window and wait for me okay? Don't you dare move until I get there." They nodded, and I lowered Ethan down quickly, and then Marie afterwards. I pushed the box in front of the door the intruder was still struggling to enter, and then squeezed through the window and joined the children in the bathroom.

"Oh god, are you two okay?" I asked them quickly, they both nodded in unison sniffling and shivering in the cold.

"You're freezing, I'm so sorry there's nothing I can do to warm you up." I whimpered at the feeling of being useless.

I looked around, and noticed that it was eerily quiet upstairs, and I looked through the hole we just climbed through. I took a shaky breath and turned towards the kids.

"Right, okay. You need to pay attention and do every single thing that I say, okay? You must not leave my side unless I tell you too. We're going to have to leave the bathroom and get outside, and we're going to run, stay with me." They nodded and I gripped the metal in my hand before slowly opening the bathroom door.

I eyed the dark corridor for a while, to make sure there was definitely nobody there before sneaking out and looking around the corner. The coast was clear, so the children and I ran towards the kitchen. Once we were in there, I told them to wait there while I checked it was clear. I went into the hall, and looked around quietly. Quietly enough to hear footsteps to my right. I stayed as still as I could until the figure rounded the corner, and I could see the shadow getting closer and closer to me. The door across from me was open, as soon as he was there, I swung the metal round and aimed it right for his manhood, hitting him directly and watching with proud satisfaction as he fell to the ground. He started to get up and I stabbed him in the chest with the blunt end of the metal, pushing him into the open room and closing the door behind him.

As quickly as I could, I ran towards the kitchen and got the children, running them towards the main door and pushing the button on the front that unlocks it. I pushed them outside just as I saw Rosalie and Emmett's car round the corner, as well as Edward's and I grinned in relief until a hand grabbed my hair and pulled me back into the darkness of the house.

The man locked the door and blocked it with a cabinet and then something else that I didn't see, as I started to run through the house. I reached the stairs and started to run up but he grabbed at my ankles and I slipped, hitting my head against the carpeted surface.

"Shit!" I screamed in pain, grimacing as I felt the man touch my legs as he tried to keep me steady. I kicked behind me in random directions, hoping one of the blows would hit him hard enough to let go so I could run. I hit jackpot, and kicked him right in the face and ran to the door, but it was blocked by too many things for me to get out of the way before he caught up with me so I ran into the living room.

I could hear the sounds of Edward and Emmett calling my name frantically from outside, and trying to get into the room but failed as the man grabbed some more things and shoved them in the way of the door. I ran straight to the living room and opened the drapes, looking for a way to contact the people outside and catch their attention and it worked. Edward saw me and ran to me, trying to smash the windows but he couldn't, they were safety protected and they were triple glazed, there was no way they would smash with just his hands.

He was trying to talk to me through the window but I couldn't hear him, the glass muted his voice and that was probably the reason he didn't hear the entry of the man to my right, but I did.

I whipped my head round and winced when my neck cracked at the sudden motion, but he was there and I ran to another door but he caught me and I slipped, dragging us both to the floor. His weight pressed against me and he was uncomfortably heavy, I winced and struggled to get free, but he sat up and straddled my hips, his hands gripping my throat until I couldn't breathe.

I gasped for air and looked to the window at Edward, his eyes were wide and he looked so fearful, he was soon joined by Rose and Emmett but I didn't have time to worry where the children were, because the lack of oxygen was making me dizzy.

I saw there was a glass bottle lying on the floor next to me that was full of vodka from when I was here last week with Alice, having a drunken gossip with Rose and I immediately felt horrible, would I ever get to do that again? Or was this my death? I gripped it tightly, and then smashed it against his head. He cried out in pain as the glass cut into his skin, and then the sting of the alcohol that followed into the open wounds.

He let me go momentarily, and I used the opportunity to run from his grasp and I grasped the poker, stabbing it into his hand fiercely attaching it to the floor. He cried out in agony as the sharp end cut through his hand, and he clawed at it desperately but he was trapped to the floor. I got up, running to the kitchen and grabbed a chair, dragging it into the living room and throwing it at the window. It smashed under the force, and I jumped through the now empty gap into Rose's garden and fell into the grass.

I looked up to see Edward being restrained by several police officers, and Rose and Emmett each clutching a child each tightly.

I struggled to get up, and looked round to see the man free of the blade holding him to the ground and blood dripping from his hand, he glared at me with hatred in his eyes and started to move towards me fast, I scrambled up but just before he could reach me a gun shot fired through the air, and the man fell to the ground as blood soaked into the grass underneath him. The shot rang through my ears and echoed through my brain and I sobbed, looking over towards Edward before sprinting into his arms.

"Bella, oh my God Bella you're here, you're okay you're here." He whispered into my hair, clutching me tightly. I ripped myself away from his arms and looked around frantically for Marie and Ethan, and when I set sights on them I ran towards them, collapsing to the floor and hugging them to me.

"Are you both okay?" I asked them, sighing in relief as they nodded and hugging them to me again, squeezing my eyes shut tightly.

I was pulled off them by strong arms, and I welcomed Edward's scent filling my nostrils.

"Thank you so, so much Bella. I have got no idea what you went through it there, but you have no idea how much it means to us that you got Marie and Ethan out alive, just… thank you." Emmett whispered.

I shook my head. "It's not even worth apologizing Emmett, there's nothing I could do… I was never going to leave them there. I would've rather died than them get hurt." Edward held me tighter when I mentioned my death, but said nothing. I knew that he'd do the same.

"Bella?" A familiar voice called.

"Officer Yorkie?" I asked, looking towards the voice.

"We need to get you to a hospital; you've got a pretty nasty cut on your chest and arm there." He noticed.

I looked down in confusion and saw that I did indeed have several cuts, but I couldn't remember getting them.

"Huh." I murmured.

"We'll also need a statement as well, if you're up to it." The officer probed gently.

"Oh, erm… yes that's fine." I nodded.

The sounds of more sirens filled my ears and I snuggled into Edward's chest as he held me close, and for the first time all night I felt safe.

o.o.o.o.o

Carlisle, Edward's father worked at the hospital alongside Edward, and once we all arrived he was ready to see to us all privately. After getting stitches on my arm and chest, I left the room and was pulled into a hug by my Aunt Lillian, Rose's mother.

"Thank you Bella, thank you for saving them. And thank heavens you're ok." I sighed into her shoulder and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Bella?" I turned around to see Officer Yorkie.

"Yes?"

"We were wondering if you're up to making your statement now?" He asked carefully.

"Yeah, sure… but can we do it here?" I gestured to the practice room we were currently in.

"I'm afraid not ma'am, we'll have to take a ride down to the police station." I grimaced, but nodded.

I followed Edward to his car and he strapped me in softly, ready to take the ride to the police station with me. I leaned my head back against the head rest and closed my eyes, whimpering softly as a tender spot on my head started to throb.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Edward asked me frantically, taking one hand of the steering wheel to hold my hand tightly.

"Nothing," I whispered. "I think I hit my head pretty hard when we fell down."

"You have got no idea how scared I was, Bella. I got to the house and Rose and Emmett were clutching two screaming children and I could hear you screaming inside… all I could think was that you were hurt." Edward broke off, "It's probably really selfish of me telling you this, when you're the one that went through it all. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Bella… I love you so much, it would just kill me." His voice broke on the last word and he looked like he was holding back tears.

"Hey," I whispered softly. "I'm here, I'm fine." I stroked my hand along his cheek as we pulled into the car park at the station and I took a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" He asked me quietly as I stood outside the interview room.

I smiled tightly, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Officer Yorkie was already situated in the room when I walked in and I sat down across from him. I saw another officer press a switch on the wall that made a beep, I'm guessing that it meant Edward, Rose, Emmett, Aunt Lil, Uncle Marcus, Carlisle, Esme (Edward's mother), and Renee were stood behind it, and they could see and hear me through the one way glass.

"Okay, are you comfortable?" Officer Yorkie asked me kindly, I nodded and he straightened his notebook, taking a pen from his chest pocket.

"Now, Miss Swan – may I call you Bella?" He asked me, I answered with a quiet, "Yes."

"Okay then, Bella. I'm Officer Erik Yorkie, I must tell you that this conversation is being videotaped for future preference; today's date is the 3rd of August, 2010. May I ask your full name?" He asked.

"Isabella Marie Swan." I whispered, watching as he wrote it down on some forms.

"Date of birth?" He questioned.

"13th of September, 1986."

"Age?" Making more notes on his sheet.

"23." I whispered.

"Okay, and may I question your relationship between Marie McCarty, and Ethan McCarty?"

"They're my niece and nephew."

"Thank you, easy stuff out of the way." He swapped the fancy looking forms for a legal pad and tapped it, thinking of where to start.

"I'd like you to tell me what brought you to the house of 5 Anderson Ridge Road."

I answered in an almost robotic voice. "It's my cousin's house. They were going for a meal with her mom and dad, my aunt and uncle… I was babysitting for her and Emmett."

"And we can just confirm that Emmett is Marie and Ethan's father." I nodded weakly. "Okay, please continue, what happened once you were there?"

I took a deep breath. "Well, I made them their tea and they watched some cartoons for a while, but they both have colds and we're feeling a bit ill. So, I took them up to bed and tucked them in and I read Green Eggs and Ham to them, and then I closed the door and left."

"Did you notice anything suspicious at this time?" Erik asked.

"No, not until the first phone call." I shivered.

"Please continue from where you left off." He asked, writing furiously on the legal pad.

"Well, I went downstairs and started to read Wuthering Heights and I got a text from Edward…"

"Sorry to interrupt, Edward's your fiancé, correct?" I nodded, "Could you tell us what the message said?"

I grimaced, "I can't really remember, they should still be on the phone… you could look." I nodded to the little plastic bag that held my phone as evidence."

"We'll check it later; we're unable to touch it right now. Please continue." I nodded.

"We we're talking to each other for a while and then I went to the kitchen to get some chips and brought them to the living room, and I turned the television… and then I got the first phone call." I inhaled a shaky breath, "I answered it, but there was nobody there. Just some heavy breathing, and then the person hung up the phone. I just thought someone had the wrong number and I put the phone back on the couch and then… then I heard a bang upstairs."

I shook my head, I now realized what that was and I was so stupid for not checking it out earlier.

"I didn't think anything of it, often when I've babysat them before, once would go to the bathroom and bang the door loudly just to annoy the other, so I just rolled my eyes and ignored it. I was so stupid!" I cried, a tear falling from my eyes.

"Would you like to take a break?"

"No I'm fine," I took another breath. "So, I tried to ring my friends Alice and Jasper but they weren't in, and then I got another call and it was just the breathing again. And then I think I fell asleep, because the phone woke me up again." I squeezed my eyes tightly. "There was a voice on the line, he said, 'Have you checked the children?' and then he hung up."

"What did you do then?" Erik asked me, gently.

"I grabbed the fire poker and walked up the stairs and opened the kids' room… and they were both there fast asleep. So, I closed the door again and came back down the stairs and the phone rang again. I answered it, and the same voice asked me, 'How were the children?'" I shook my head, more tears falling. "I called you then, it was obvious that this guy could see me, he was watching what I was doing. I just closed all the drapes, so he couldn't see me anymore, and you told me to try and keep him on the line for a minute."

"Yes, I did." The officer nodded.

"So I stared to read Wuthering Heights again, and then the phone rang again. I tried to keep him there, but he wouldn't talk and he hung up after about 45 seconds I think it was. So I walked to the kitchen and the paper was open on the table. It was on the page about some man who had been calling someone called Angela as she looked after her younger brothers, and then he killed her." I looked up at the table.

I gasped as recognition shot through me, "Angela…" I whispered. "He killed Angela?" I cried, and then sobbed when he nodded. Angela had been at school with Rose, Emmett, Edward and I, and she was Minister Weber's daughter – the minister that married Rose and Emmett.

"It sounded too familiar, also because Rosalie had been so hesitant to leave earlier that night… it was obvious that she'd just read that article. And then as soon as I'd finished it, the phone rang again.

"I was terrified, I thought he could still see me even though the drapes were shut, but he couldn't, the person on the phone was Edward. We talked for a while, but he had to go back to work so he told me he'd come straight to the house when he was finished, which meant he would be there in about an hour."

"Are you sure you're okay to continue, ma'am?"

"May I please have a glass of water?" I asked, feeling suddenly thirsty.

"Sure." He walked over to the little water dispenser in the corner and filled a plastic cup, handing it to me. The cool water soothed my aching throat, and I sighed.

"Okay, so I hung up from Edward and the phone rang again, I answered it and it was the man again, only this time he said 'Hello'. I checked my watch and tried to keep him on the line for a minute, and this time I was successful. But then I worked myself up, I got scared that Edward's call had been over a minute and that you'd confuse the two numbers. Thankfully, that call lasted under a minute."

"You're doing really well Bella; could you tell us what happened after that?"

"The phone rang again, and I shouted at the person to stop calling, and I called them a sick freak, but it was you on the phone. And you told me that the call was coming from inside the house." I closed my eyes tightly, and tried to ignore that everyone I loved was outside, and could hear everything I was saying.

"And then the lights went out." I breathed.

"Yes, we were unsure whether you had disconnected the call, but we tried to phone back and we couldn't get through. Could you tell you why they went out?"

"I don't know, at that point I didn't know if it was a power cut or if the guy had somehow shut off the electricity." I shrugged one shoulder.

"You say at that point, I presume the lights came back on later?" He questioned.

"Yes, they did."

"Okay, please continue." I nodded.

"Well, you'd just told me to leave the house, but I couldn't leave the children. So, I got the fire poker and walked back up the stairs and entered their room, but they weren't there." I inhaled again. "The pillows on the beds had been arranged to look like two little people."

"That must have been very distressing."

"At that point, I knew that the guy had been in the room, I knew he'd been watching the children." I shivered.

I heard a bang outside and I whipped my head in the direction of the window, I couldn't see out of it but I knew people could see in.

"Then what happened?"

"The door to the play room was open so I went in there and switched the lights, and they turned on. So, I figured it had just been a power cut. The room was pretty empty apart from the toy box in the middle of the room, and there were lots of toys on the floor around it. So, I opened it and the kids were in there. I got them out and I was checking them, they seemed fine but then the audio to Green Eggs and Ham started playing from the bedroom."

I paused and took another drink of water, closing my eyes. I couldn't help but wince as memories flooded into my head until they were all I could see. I snapped my eyes open, thankful to see Officer Yorkie and not the man.

"So I kept them behind me and walked to the door frame, but there was nobody there."

Officer Yorkie interrupted me, confused.

"Then how did the music start playing?"

"He wasn't there, until I looked up. And he was sat on the beams of the ceiling watching me. I figured out he'd been there the whole time, when I was talking to Rose on the phone, when I was reading the children a story he was there listening. And then he jumped down, and a cell phone dropped from his hand, so I knew he'd been calling me from there as well."

I kept all emotion from my voice as I spoke, trying to keep it from shaking.

"There was no lock on the door, but there was a handle on the door and on the wall next to it, so I grabbed the hair dryer from the counter and tied the wire around both handles, it worked as a sort of lock so he couldn't fully open the door, but that angered him. He started banging and kicking the door trying to get it to open, I knew it wouldn't last long so I smashed one of the lower windows in the play room and lowered the kids down into the downstairs bathroom.

"I jumped down after them, and we left the bathroom, they stayed behind me and I checked the coast was clear and then we ran to the kitchen. I told them to wait there until I came back for them and I saw his shadow rounding the corner, so I waited until he was close enough and then I swung the metal round until it hit him in his, ya'know… more private area."

Officer Yorkie winced, but nodded.

"And then I stabbed him in the chest with it and pushed him into a different room and then got the kids and ran to the front door. I unlocked it and they ran out, and I saw Emmett and Rose and then Edward pull up… but then he grabbed my hair and pulled me back inside."

I realized now, that that was probably why my head was hurting earlier.

"I ran towards the stairs as he blocked the door so no one could get in or out, but he grabbed my ankles and I fell and hit my head on them. I tried to kick him off me, but I kept missing, but I got him in the face eventually and he let go long enough for me to run into the living room. I opened the drapes to try and smash a window, to get out and Emmett and Edward were trying to get in, but they couldn't break the window with their hands.

"He came in then, he attacked me and we ended up on the floor, he was trying to strangle me and I couldn't breathe but I saw a bottle of vodka on the floor, it must have been on the table since Alice and I went over last week, anyway I hit him over the head with it and then scrambled up, and I stabbed him in the hand with the fire poker. It kind of attached him to the floor so I got a chair from the kitchen and brought it into the living room and smashed the window.

"I tripped as I tried to get out, and he was free, he got up and glared at me and he started to run at me but that's when I heard the gunshot… and then he was falling."

"Thank you, Bella. That's it for now, we'll be in touch." Officer Yorkie smiled.

I nodded weakly, but I stayed still unable to move. Memories of the night were coming back clearer and clearer, and I felt myself losing consciousness. I was trying to break out, to be in control of my body, but I couldn't grasp it, and someone caught me before I hit the floor.

o.o.o.o.o

I awoke in the hospital again, a few hours later. Awoke in a sense, I could hear the things around me well, my sense of hearing amplified as my eyes were closed. Weakly, I opened my eyes, but they felt crusty… like they'd been closed for a long time. I pulled my arm up and rubbed them, capturing the sleep that had gathered there with my fingertips and flicking them away. I sat up and pulled the sheets off me, pressing the button for the nurse.

I waited for a few moments, but nobody came so I pressed it again twice. After waiting for two minutes with no response, I got out of the bed and walked into the hallway, straight into someone else who was walking into my room.

I screamed as flashbacks hit me hard and fast, and I struggled in the person's arms as they tried to restrain me.

"Let me go!" I shouted loudly.

"Bella, Bella! Calm down!" A familiar voice whispered in my ear. I heard more people enter the room, but I couldn't stop screaming. Couldn't they see and help me?

"No! You don't understand, he's here he's in the house! He's in the house!" I screamed, struggling violently to get free from the person.

"Bella. Calm down, it's Edward, you're in the hospital. He's not here, he's dead. The police killed him, you're safe." I stopped thrashing in his arms, and reduced myself to shaking and I collapsed sobbing into his arms.

"I love you, Edward." I whispered.

"I love you too, more than anything Bella." He kissed the top of my head and his arms tightened round my waist, tears running down both of our faces.

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